# Mental health support programme for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers named winner of €2.6m challenge to improve parental wellbeing across Southeast Asia

- Link: https://www.thailand-business-news.com/pr-news/mental-health-support-programme-for-pregnant-and-breastfeeding-mothers-named-winner-of-e2-6m-challenge-to-improve-parental-wellbeing-across-southeast-asia
- Published: 2026-09-03T15:00:00+07:00
- Author: PR Newswire

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LONDON, Sept. 3, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — A programme to support the mental health of
pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in rural areas across Indonesia has been named
among the six winners of the €2.6 million [Good Start Challenge](https://goodstart.challenges.org/),
which sought innovative ideas to support parental wellbeing in underserved communities
across Southeast Asia.

 [⌊A Posyandu cadre in Tupan Village, South Central Timor, provided a counselling session to a mother during the program. Credit: Foundation for Mother and Child Health Indonesia.⌉](https://mmx.prnasia.com/media/MS1977072/Good-Start-Challenge-Southeast-Asia.jpg?id=OA2916842&p=medium600)

A Posyandu cadre in Tupan Village, South Central Timor, provided a counselling session
to a mother during the program. Credit: Foundation for Mother and Child Health Indonesia.

[Foundation for Mother and Child Health Indonesia](http://fmch-indonesia.org/) has
developed BUNDA, a community-based programme that supports the mental wellbeing 
of pregnant and breastfeeding mothers in rural Indonesia. It trains midwives and
community health volunteers to provide practical and emotional support through home
visits and health check-ups.

Through the programme, mothers learn simple ways to manage stress, build healthy
routines, and seek support from their families, helping them to protect their wellbeing
and provide nurturing care for their children.

The team has been awarded €200,000 and is being connected with partners to continue
its scaling journey.

**Rushda Majeed, Chief Programme Officer at Van Leer Foundation, said:** "We launched
the Good Start Challenge because we recognised an urgent need to bring innovation
into support systems around families and prioritise parental wellbeing. The six 
winners show the potential and readiness of organisations to bring meaningful change
to parents’ everyday reality. Today we celebrate what has been achieved as a major
milestone in our ongoing mission to ensure that not only children, but parents everywhere
have a good start too."

**Kathy Nothstine, Director of Cities and Societies at Challenge Works, said: **"
The Good Start Challenge has reinforced one clear lesson: innovation exists in every
corner of the world, and challenge prizes provide the opportunity for these to surface
and scale."

The Good Start Challenge was initiated by [Van Leer Foundation](https://vanleerfoundation.org/);
supported by [FEMSA](https://www.femsa.com/en/), [Fundaçāo Maria Cecilia Souto Vidigal](https://fundacaomariacecilia.org.br/en/),
and [LEGO Foundation](https://www.legofoundation.com/); and designed and delivered
by global challenge prize experts, [Challenge Works](https://challengeworks.org/).

It launched in response to growing recognition that becoming a new parent can be
a period of vulnerability. It received over 1,000 entries, showing that organisations
around the world recognise the gap in support for parents, and have compelling ideas
about how to close it.

To find out more: [goodstart.challenges.org](https://goodstart.challenges.org/)

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**Read the original article :** [Mental health support programme for pregnant and breastfeeding mothers named winner of €2.6m challenge to improve parental wellbeing across Southeast Asia ](http://www.prnasia.com/story/archive/5035297_AE35297_0?rand=184833)